Freeway closures will continue into the coming week in the Indianapolis northeast sector. The cause is a fiery explosion in Indianapolis from a crashed liquid propane tanker that took out a support column on the eastbound bridge of the I-465 last Thursday, and the result has been an extensive repair project. Both the east-and southbound sections of the I-465 freeway, which encircles the Circle City, are affected, specifically the northeastern sector of Indy‘s inner city border. The accident occurred above an exit ramp for the I-69, close to a peripheral rail line.

Though the westbound bridge on the I-465 has been reopened by the Indiana highway engineers, the Eastbound I-465 will stay closed to traffic flow between the busy interchanges of US 31-Meridian Street and the 56th Street-Shadeland Avenue until repairs are accomplished and the INDOT considers the eastbound bridge completely safe to travel, either from above or from below. Indy’s Department of Transportation will be posting message boards for drivers to follow I-70 and I-65.

If you’re driving a vehicle more than 13′ 6″ high, you are required to contact the Department of Revenue Motor Carrier Services for alternate routing information. Interstate-69, both north- and southbound, will be open to through traffic that connects with Binford Boulevard.

If you’re gearing up to face the freeways tomorrow and all next week, you might want to take a look at the repairs and closures information provided by the Indiana Department of Transportation, condensed on the bottom of this article. The INDOT will have work crews out 24 hours a day until the job is done, and done right, but as of today, even an ETA on the reopening of the bridge under repair is not known.

Drivers are also encouraged to plan alternate routes and stagger their commute times, especially during peak hours. You can check the traffic reports, which will be continually updated throughout the week, at the INDOT website.

Lonnie Hood and Robert Skaggs, eyewitnesses to the explosion, pulled the endangered driver out of the tanker to safety just before the tanker truck blew sky high. The heroic Hoosiers say they felt the explosion deep in their chests.

Open to
through traffic:

The northbound ramp on the I-465 to the I-69 ramp southbound, to the westbound I-465.

Closed to
through traffic:

The southbound ramp on the I-69 to the southbound I-465
The eastbound ramp on the I-465 which loops down to the northbound I-69
The eastbound ramp on the I-465 to the southbound Binford Blvd. connection